


Almost totally not like Bonnie and Clyde

by The_Dancing_Walrus



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Adorkable, Crimes & Criminals, F/F, Femslash, Fluff, Karaoke, Kissing, Rare Pairings, The Rogues - Freeform, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-01-11
Packaged: 2018-05-13 05:29:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5696779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Dancing_Walrus/pseuds/The_Dancing_Walrus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“What about you ‘Boo?” Light asked and Shawna sighed.</p>
<p>“There was this guy-” She began and Linda cracked up.</p>
<p>“Oh noooooo! This guy! Words of doom!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Almost totally not like Bonnie and Clyde

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I'm the only person who noticed that the gang met Linda in Shawna's favourite bar...

The best mistake Linda Park ever made was wandering into a dingy karaoke bar for the first time since the particle accelerator exploded.

 

She hadn’t been anywhere like this in years, so they wouldn’t think to check, right?

 

She tried not to think about how both of the men after her were probably fast enough to check every room of every building in a small city before the night was out. But they might not recognise her with bleached hair and huge buggy sunglasses and stolen clothes that didn’t quite fit.

 

The Flash had been right. She was going to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder, glancing towards the door, worried about whether that last drink would mean she couldn’t get away.

 

She only met the love of her life because she was running scared.

 

The girl at the mike was drunk, staggering and slurring and messing up the words even when they were right in front of her. And she was sad. And angry. Belting out a travesty of a song that was more tears and fury than music.

 

She was making a scene.

 

So Linda stepped in, played the long-suffering friend, because too much trouble and _he_ might show up. And it wouldn’t matter how quickly and calmly she headed out if he did.

 

She’d been planning to move on to the next town tomorrow anyway.

 

She’d only been planning to take the girl a block or so before leaving her in an alleyway. But it was just Linda’s luck, picking up the loudest most miserable drunk in miles. People were staring and she couldn’t just put the girl down.

 

Linda was holding back the girl’s hair while she threw up over a corner when the girl started crying again. And in between cursing someone named Clay, men and the mob she damned the Flash, STAR labs and the Pipeline.

 

Linda decided to take her home.

 

-

 

There was a note beside the bed when she woke up, right next to the glass of water and pack of painkillers.

 

_You’re running from the Flash._

 

Shawna didn’t get past the first line. It gripped her chest like-

 

And it didn’t matter that the room was empty or that she couldn’t hear sirens, she just needed to be _gone_ -

 

A blink, a puff of smoke and she was by the door except there was something else there, something see-through but solid that sent her sprawling back on her ass and-

 

There was a woman opposite her, eyes wide and breathing just as hard as Shawna.

 

She also wasn’t wearing anything.

 

“Oh my God!” Shawna started because _what_ -

 

“I’m sorry!” The woman said and vanished again which didn’t help.

 

“What the fuck-” Shawna stammered.

 

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” The sound came from the air somewhere up and to the right. “But I sort of thought waking up with a stranger might so-”

 

“Shit did we-?” They couldn’t have, she wouldn’t have, she wasn’t that-

 

The woman’s head appeared, detached like a really cheap movie effect, and she rolled her eyes and that really _really_ wasn’t better.

 

“You can go if you want,” The head told her. “I just thought- look it doesn’t matter.”

 

Her head hurt and she could remember bits and pieces of the night before. She’d drunk too much again, ended up in the kind of place she used to go with Clay. It could have gotten messy but the woman, whoever she was had stepped in.

 

Shawna got slowly, shakily, to her feet.

 

At some point in the commotion the note had drifted off the bedside table and landed close to her feet.

 

_You’re running from the Flash._

_Want to run together?_

 

It was too early and her head hurt.

 

Shawna swallowed. “Peek-a-Boo.”

 

The head smiled. “Dr Light.”

 

-

 

She was miserable and hung over and she needed to get out of town anyway.

 

Dr Light bought her breakfast and let her sleep in the passenger seat of the beat up, wreck of a probably-stolen-van.

 

And Shawna knew that Light just wanted to use her too. That as friendly and helpful as she was now she would turn out just like Clay. There’d be a ‘job’ or a jail break or a something that would be all about Shawna sticking her neck out and Light taking the spoils and-

 

And that was somewhere in the future. Right now Light was getting her another step away from Central City and buying her breakfast and letting her sleep.

 

-

 

Except they didn’t actually steal anything for ages.

 

They pooled their pennies and shared the driving and went through an endless selection of two-bed rooms.

 

It was what Shawna imagined a road trip would be like. If they didn’t both keep jumping at shadows and looking over their shoulders.

 

-

 

When they finally ran out of gas money all Light asked was for Shawna to stay in the drivers seat and wait for her.

 

She didn’t even see the robbery, just bright white flashes from the gas station. When the Flash caught up Shawna wouldn’t even need to lie because she didn’t see a thing.

 

Light came back with one hundred sixty three dollars, seventeen cents and two bottles of cheap vodka.

 

Shawna drove.

 

-

 

They split the vodka in the next motel.

 

Light couldn’t really hold it well.

 

She sprawled between the two single beds grinning up at Shawna like an idiot, her hair all mussed up against the covers. It was kinda cute.

 

She was a talkative drunk and she started telling Shawna about her world, about the music she missed and sports teams she couldn’t watch and the goddamn Flash.

 

Either the Flash in Light’s world was a lot more dour or Light was rubbish at impressions. It still made Shawna laugh, far harder than it should have, until she’d fallen backwards on the bed.

 

“It’s so stupid you know?” Light continued once Shawna had got her breath back. “It’s just _so_ stupid. One lousy mistake and then it’s all-”

 

She made a vague flapping motion with one hand and waved the vodka.

 

“I mean I didn’t have _much_ of a life, but it was mine.” Light went on. “And I only needed three hundred dollars. Three hundred dollars and I’d never have done it again- ever. But then there’s the _Crimson Comet-_ ”

 

“Crimson Comet?” Shawna echoed and then she was laughing again. “Fuck that’s _awful-_ _Crimson Comet_ -”

 

“I know right? It sounds like a cheap car.”

 

She swirled the vodka round in the bottle, brightness leaking out of her fingers and refracting through glass and alcohol as if it was a crystal ball.

 

“ _One_ stupid fucking mistake,” She said, as Shawna watched the lights dance across the floor. “And suddenly you’re _Doctor Light,_ super-villain and then you’re just _screwed_ you know?”

 

“I know.” Shawna replied but she wasn’t sure Light was listening.

 

“Can’t do anything else now,” Light murmured, pausing long enough for quick swig. “ _Doctor Light_ and that’s it. All for one lousy mistake.”

 

And she was right, and it was sad, sadder then anything Shawna had heard in a while because it was way too close to home.

 

She took a long gulp of vodka, steeled herself and asked.

 

“So, what’s your real name?”

 

Light tilted her head back up and gave Shawna a wide, goofy grin.

 

“Linda.” She said, reaching a wavering hand up towards the bed.

 

“Lashawn. Shawna.”

 

She caught Linda’s hand and held it for a moment and Linda smiled, huge and completely uninhibited. It made her look like such a _dork_.

 

“What about you ‘Boo?” Light asked and Shawna sighed.

 

“There was this guy-” She began and Linda cracked up.

 

“Oh noooooo! _This guy_! Words of doom!”

 

Shawna threw a pillow at her but Linda didn’t stop laughing.

 

-

 

The first thing she stole for Linda was a dress.

 

Linda hadn’t asked for it and that’s may be part of why she did.

 

Because Linda didn’t really ask for much: just someone to share the driving and the booze with, someone to talk to.

 

And she’d stood in front of the shop window staring at the damn thing _forever_. And they couldn’t afford it and-

 

And Shawna had just thought ‘fuck it’.

 

Then she was inside the shop window.

 

It took may be two seconds to grab a fistful of the dress, turn-

 

Then she was outside again, right in front of the fearsome Doctor Light, who made a noise that might have been ‘eep’ and looked a little like she might faint-

 

Shawna put an arm around her.

 

And then they were on the roof opposite and then four buildings away, and then three blocks and then six.

 

She let go of Linda and Light staggered back a few steps looking at Shawna like she was the most amazing thing in the world.

 

“Oh my _God_.” Linda breathed. “You _got the dress_.”

 

“I got the dress.” Shawna confirmed.

 

“Oh my God! You didn’t have to- I mean it’s great- I mean you’re great- I mean-”

 

She grinned and threw her arms around Shawna’s neck and who knew super-villains could give such good hugs?

 

“Thank you.”

 

-

 

It didn’t fit her at all. But she spent a good three hours prancing around their room in it anyway pretending to be the Queen of Atlantis.

 

She thought it might make Shawna laugh.

 

It did.

 

-

 

The first time they pulled a job together was two weeks later. A jewellery store in the latest small town and it really was so simple Shawna couldn’t believe they hadn’t done it sooner.

 

Because the store might be closed and locked down and those shutters might stop anyone from breaking the window-

 

But they’ve got holes in them large enough for Shawna to see through.

 

There was a rush of air and smoke then they were in.

 

And it changed Linda somehow the whole crime thing. Her posture shifted into this confident strut, her expression got harder, colder and the lights burnt in her palms like flares.

 

It was kind of….sexy-

 

She raised her arms, fingers spread like a magician about to perform the world’s greatest trick, and burnt the security cameras off the walls. She strode across the shop floor and melted the locks off the strong boxes.

 

It wasn’t until she’d started piling handfuls of cash and jewellery onto the nearest desk that Shawna finally moved. She ported forward, a little too close and Light went still.

 

Shawna swallowed.

 

After an awkward moment she opened up the bags they’d brought and shoved their haul in. Linda went back to emptying to deposit boxes.

 

Four minutes seventeen seconds.

 

Then they were gone.

 

-

 

The first time- except it wasn’t really the _first_ time, Shawna had been arrested before.

 

But it had been a life time ago before the particle accelerator and powers. And it had only ever been for stupid things: for the nights she’d drank too much, for being loud at three in the morning and swearing when they said they wouldn’t serve her anymore.

 

It was the first time it had been this scary.

 

Her eyes were still burning from the tear gas, making her cry thick humiliating streams that had soaked the blindfold through.

 

_She couldn’t see-_

 

They’d left her with her hands cuffed behind her back. It was probably a cell, it had to be a cell. But she didn’t know what was in it or if she was alone or if they were watching or-

 

_She couldn’t see-_

 

And that meant she couldn’t get out. She couldn’t get out and she found herself hoping that may be-

 

Except Light wasn’t going to come, just like Clay hadn’t come. She was all alone again, trapped again and it was almost _worse_ than the Flash because she _couldn’t see_ -

 

There was a scream.

 

And she wondered if it was the Flash, except the Flash wouldn’t hurt cops-

 

Then she wondered if it was Zoom but he didn’t know about her. He was after Light-

 

Whoever it was they were coming-

 

More screams, some thuds, a hiss and a smell like ozone and burnt plastic-

 

She shuffled backwards, tripped and fell.

 

There was no way out, _there was no way out, therewasnowayout-_

 

Hands grabbed her shoulders clawed at the blindfold and-

 

Light was there, so close and Shawna had just enough time to take a shaky, watery breath before Linda ripped her helmet off.

 

She looked really worried.

 

“OhmyGodareyouok?” Linda asked in a rush.

 

“You came.” Shawna croaked but Light didn’t seem to hear her.

 

“Did they hurt you? Oh God did they call the Flash? Are we-”

 

She stopped listening. Instead she pitched forward, throwing her arms around Linda.

 

So they could vanish in a puff of smoke.

 

-

 

She was still panicking a little when Shawna got them to the car. She clutched the wheel reflexively and she should really really have started driving but she’d just been so worried-

 

“Are you _sure_ you’re ok?” Linda asked for like the millionth time and ‘Boo must have thought she was _such_ an idiot and she was kind of may be babbling a bit and-

 

Shawna leaned over and kissed her and Linda’s whole brain sort of whited out.

 

She could smell strawberries, Shawna smelled of strawberries and Linda had no idea how she’d never noticed before.

 

She felt Shawna lean back and Linda stayed there for way too long with her mouth sort of open until she remembered to open her eyes again. ‘Boo looked worried but Linda had no idea why because-

 

“Oh my God, how have we not done that before?”

 

Shawna grinned and punched her softly on the shoulder.

 

“Shut up and drive.”

 

-

 

“So I’ve been thinking,” Light said over their greasy diner breakfast three days and five towns later. “We need professional help.”

 

Shawna choked on her coffee. “We _what?_ ”

 

“You know, with the _stuff_.” Linda explained gesturing to the bag that was _still_ full of expensive stolen jewellery they hadn’t been able to sell.

 

Not that either of them had tried since Shawna was arrested with that snitching fence-

 

“The ‘stuff’?” Shawna echoed smirking. “Seriously?”

 

“Oh come on you know what I mean!”

 

“May be?” Shawna said innocently and Linda rolled her eyes.

 

“ _Any_ way, we can’t deal with it by ourselves. We need help. Someone who knows what they’re doing-”

 

“Are you asking me if-”

 

“Well you _live_ here!” Light protested.

 

Shawna sighed and stared into her coffee.

 

“I might…but I sorta owe him a favour and-”

 

“He’s in Central?” Linda guessed.

 

“Bingo.”

 

“Crap.”

 

-

 

They almost don’t go back but they couldn’t keep driving forever, living from hand to mouth, counting pennies.

 

The news said Zoom was gone and no one had seen the Flash for a month.

 

So…

 

-

 

Linda had met a lot of criminals back home, a lot of ‘super-villains’-

 

Not many of them were like Leonard Snart.

 

Crime wasn’t exactly a career path known for equal opportunities. She’d had to blind or burn men to convince them to take her seriously before and _most_ of the criminals she’d known were _so_ stupid-

 

But Snart…

 

Snart wasn’t interested in the jewellery or helping them sell it. He was interested in how they’d got hold of it and how they’d got away.

 

She could almost see the moment when his attention shifted, when Peek-a-Boo and Dr Light became much more interesting than the money.

 

Captain Cold offered them a job.

 

-

 

She’d been scared of it at first: joining up with the Rogues and after everything that had happened with Clay and the mob no one could really blame Shawna for it.

 

But Linda had been right, it was…actually good, easier with someone like Captain Cold making the plans and safer with more than each other to watch their backs.

 

Weather Wizard was still a jerk and Heatwave could be scary sometimes, but with Linda right next to her not afraid of any of them it was OK. It was better than OK.

 

They didn’t have to run anymore, didn’t have to worry about where they’d stay the next night, didn’t have to worry if they had enough money-

 

And it turned out they both had a gift for puncturing the boys’ stupid pissing contests.

 

A month and a few jobs later and she didn’t know why she’d been so worried about it all. Zoom was gone. The Flash was gone. They were safe.

 

And as they sat through Cold’s latest plan, whispering ridiculous shit in each other’s ears, giggling and watching their boss get steadily more frustrated with these lunatics he’d hired-

 

Shawna couldn’t remember being happier.

 

-

 

“Come on!” ‘Boo wheedled. “Please? You said you liked hockey.”

 

“It’s not the same.” Linda grumbled because it really wasn’t.

 

The Keystone Combines really _weren’t_ the Indomitable Lionesses. And the uniforms!

 

“It’ll be fun.” ‘Boo promised and she was probably right but-

 

“They’re not my team!” Linda protested. “You don’t break in on someone else’s team! It’s like…cheating!”

 

‘Boo put a commiserating hand on her shoulder.

 

“Baby your team’s in another dimension, you’ve got to get over them some time. Move on. See other sports.”

 

“I guess.” She mumbled, ‘Boo grinned.

 

In the corner Mardon finally cracked enough to start laughing at them so Linda took the time to give him the finger before her ‘Boo ported them out.

 

-

 

Then the Flash came back. It was-

 

Shawna couldn’t sleep. She’d sat up with Linda most of the night and well into the technically-morning. She’d probably stopped making sense hours ago just babbling the same damn things about the Pipeline, being in that little box for months and-

 

Linda hugged her and rubbed her back and told her they couldn’t do that anymore. And Shawna knew that: there was the Metahuman Task Force now, Iron Heights had a special wing-

 

He couldn’t make either of them vanish anymore. They had each other; they had the Rogues to break them out if they both got caught. Iron Heights wasn’t ever going to be forever.

 

“And anyway,” Linda murmured in her ear. “If he runs our way we could just push Mardon at him. I mean either Weather-boy fries the Flash or we’re down one asshole for a couple of weeks, it’s a win-win situation.”

 

It shouldn’t have made her laugh but it did.

 

“You’re the _worst_.” She told Light and felt Linda smile against her neck.

 

“Yep.” Light agreed, leaving soft kisses on Shawna’s shoulder. “I’m the worst, baddest, most evilest-”

 

“Most evilest?”

 

“Shut up honey I’m monologing.”

 

-

 

The first time they faced off against the Flash together didn’t end as bad as Shawna was afraid it would.

 

They didn’t get the statues but no one was injured or arrested either. So she marked it down as a draw and tried to ignore Mardon’s bitching and Mick’s tantrum.

 

She’d sat down at the bar with Lisa for a whiskey or three while the boys bickered. Linda had gone off to investigate the jukebox-

 

“Oh my _God!_ ” Light squealed suddenly, making most of them jump; making Shawna spin round with a hand on Lisa’s shoulder ready to ‘port, making Cold reach for his gun-

 

“You have Elvis?” Light continued, giving Shawna that big dorky grin. “Why did no one tell me you have Elvis here?”

 

Snart rolled his eyes. Shawna relaxed a bit-

 

“Come on, ‘Boo!” Linda called, stretching her arms out.

 

Shawna ‘ported into them.

 

Neither of them could dance exactly. So they did a kind of Courtney-Cox-shuffle in the middle of the bar, Jailhouse Rock blaring out from the speakers.

 

Like they didn’t have a care in the world.

 

-

 

They got caught four months later, by the Metahuman Task Force, which wasn’t half so bad as Linda had expected. The blocks with the power-cancellers were pretty spacious actually, they could see each other, and it wasn’t as if Cold wasn’t gonna bust them all out sooner or later.

 

‘Boo didn’t seem to see it that way though. She’d been staring at the floor the whole drive towards the courthouse and it wasn’t right because they didn’t have anything to worry about but she couldn’t exactly _say_ that so-

 

Linda tapped her foot against the floor and started humming. It was two verses before she got ‘Boo to look up, that expression on her face like she couldn’t quite believe Linda was-

 

“Number forty seven said to number three,” She sang, soft and smirking and she could see her ‘Boo trying not to smile. “Why you the cutest jailbird I ever did see-”

 

“I sure would be delighted with your company-” ‘Boo joined in, out of time and out of tune but she was smiling.

 

“COME ON AND DO THE JAILHOUSE ROCK WITH MEEEEEEEEEEE!” They bellowed together and down at the end she could see the guards wince.

 

Mardon groaned and banged his head against the wall.

 

She caught Shawna’s eye-

 

And they were laughing too hard to sing before they reached the end of the chorus.

 


End file.
